CVE-2006-4080 in DeluxeBB
Summary
by MITRE
DeluxeBB 1.08, and possibly earlier, uses cookies that include the MD5 hash of a password, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges by sniffing or cross-site scripting (XSS) and conduct password guessing attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4080 affects DeluxeBB version 1.08 and potentially earlier versions, representing a critical security flaw in the forum software's authentication mechanism. This weakness stems from the improper handling of session management through cookie implementation, where the application stores an MD5 hash of user passwords within browser cookies. The design flaw creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to escalate privileges and compromise user accounts through relatively straightforward exploitation techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the insecure storage of password hashes within HTTP cookies, which violates fundamental security principles for session management and authentication. When users authenticate to the DeluxeBB system, their credentials are processed and a hash value is stored in a cookie that persists across sessions. This approach directly contravenes established security guidelines for credential handling and session management, as the MD5 hash serves as a predictable identifier that can be exploited by attackers who gain access to these cookies through network sniffing or cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-521 Weak Password Requirements and CWE-312 Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Data, as it exposes password information in a manner that makes brute force attacks significantly more feasible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass full account compromise and potential system infiltration. Attackers who successfully intercept cookies through packet sniffing or execute XSS attacks against vulnerable web applications can reconstruct user passwords by performing dictionary attacks against the stored MD5 hashes. This creates a dangerous scenario where legitimate users' credentials become vulnerable to offline cracking attempts, particularly given that MD5 is considered cryptographically broken and unsuitable for password storage. The vulnerability also enables attackers to maintain persistent access to compromised accounts, as the hash values can be reused to authenticate without requiring the original password, thereby undermining the entire authentication system's integrity.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical expertise and can be accomplished through standard network reconnaissance and attack methodologies. Network sniffing tools can capture cookies transmitted over unencrypted connections, while XSS vulnerabilities in the web application can be leveraged to steal cookies from authenticated sessions. The combination of these attack vectors creates a multi-layered threat scenario where attackers can bypass traditional security controls. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 Initial Access through credential harvesting and T1078 Valid Accounts for maintaining persistent access. Organizations using affected versions of DeluxeBB face significant risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within compromised networks, as the stolen session information can be used to access sensitive resources and escalate privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4080 require immediate implementation of multiple security controls to address both the immediate vulnerability and underlying architectural weaknesses. The primary remediation involves upgrading to a patched version of DeluxeBB that implements proper session management without storing password hashes in cookies. Organizations should also implement secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags to prevent XSS-based cookie theft, while enforcing HTTPS encryption for all communications to prevent network sniffing attacks. Additionally, organizations must implement robust password policies that utilize strong hashing algorithms like bcrypt, scrypt, or PBKDF2 instead of MD5, and establish proper session timeout mechanisms to limit the window of opportunity for credential compromise. The implementation of web application firewalls and input validation controls can further protect against XSS attacks that might be used to exploit this vulnerability, while regular security audits should verify that session management is properly implemented throughout the application stack.